於2012-04-06發佈

為以色列時事禱告 (April 2, 2012) 
                 
星期五晚上是逾越節和除酵節的開始

 『你們既是無酵的麵,應當把舊酵除淨,好使你們成為新團;因為我們逾越節的羔羊基督已經被殺獻祭了。所以,我們守這節不可用舊酵,也不可用惡毒(或作:陰毒)、邪惡的酵,只用誠實真正的無酵餅。』(哥林多前書5:7-8)  

星期五日落,全世界的猶太人會團聚,藉以遵守出埃及記12:14的命令:『你們要記念這日,守為耶和華的節,作為你們世世代代永遠的定例。』他們會除去家中的酵(12:19),連續一個禮拜只吃無酵之物。逾越(Pesach)這個字來自於希伯來文動詞lifso'ach,意思是『跳過』。事實上,當災禍籠罩整個埃及時,凡是門楣上有血的就會跳過,其他地方則受審判。

逾越節晚餐會在seder(一種盤子)家宴桌上慶祝。seder的意思是次序,現代希伯來文b'seder ─很好,實際上的意思是『就緒中』。所以在seder 桌上是『有次序的』記述神在逾越節做了什麼,包括在經文閱讀和用餐時。

在用餐過程中,大部分的家庭會使用一本稱『Haggadah』的書來指引流程,Haggadah的實際意思是『告訴』,摘錄於出埃及記13:8『當那日,你要告訴你的兒子說:這是因耶和華在我出埃及的時候為我所行的事』(出埃及記13:8)。

儘管這本書涵蓋著一些受尊敬之拉比的評論,主要還是直接記述神拯救祂百姓以色列脫離埃及的奴役,並點綴一些很棒的詩篇與其他聖經經文,裡面有許多內容提到神的拯救(Yeshu'ah與希伯來文耶穌同字)和要來的彌賽亞。

講述完逾越節故事後,還有一個附帶活動稱『Afikomen』(藏餅),Afikomen是希臘文,實際意思是『接下來是』,或是『要來的那位』。在家宴一開始,會將三塊無酵餅放在三層布袋中,放在中間的那塊要先擘成兩半,一半放在中間的袋子,另一半則藏起來(Afikomen)。

在家宴最後,孩子們會尋找藏起來的餅,找到的可以贏得獎賞,然後所有人都會分這餅吃。現代的無酵餅,在烘烤時因熱度會產生洞孔和條紋,根據猶太法典Mishna(密西拿),所藏的餅Afikomen代表逾越節的祭物(Korban Pesach),這是第一聖殿和第二聖殿時期,逾越節家宴吃的最後一樣食物。以色列人心中有一個帕子,在他們傳統中有許多深層的真理,他們卻仍然無法看見。

請禱告:

*神的光照亮全世界逾越節的家宴桌上,彰顯『從創世以來被殺之羔羊』的真理─祂受鞭傷,被刺穿,從世人中被減除,神的羔羊除去世人的罪,並為人贖罪。凡尋求祂的會找到祂,找著祂的將帶來生命、滋養和喜樂!

*在這聖潔的一週,當孩子不上學、許多家庭出遊、享受假期之際,神的保護在以色列全地。
                    


Prayer Update From Israel (April 2, 2012)
                   

 FRIDAY EVENING BEGINS PASSOVER AND THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD

 "Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed, Messiah, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (I Corinthians 5:7-8).

Friday at sundown Jews around the world will be gathered round tables in obedience to the command in Exodus 12:14, "So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations.You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance." They will have cleaned leaven from their homes (12:19) and will begin a week of eating only unleavened bread.The word Pesach (Passover) comes from verb lifso'ach which means "to skip". Literally, when the scourge went through Egypt, those with blood on their doorposts were 'skipped' the judgment which came upon the rest of Egypt. 

The meal is celebrated at a seder table. Seder means "order". In modern Hebrew, b'seder-'o.k.' is literally, 'in order'. So the seder table is an "ordered" account, both through reading and having a meal, of what God did on that occasion.

During the course of the meal, most families are guided by a book called a "Haggadah".
This word actually means "the telling" and is taken from Exodus 13:8, "And you shall tell your son on that day, saying, 'It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt'" (Exodus 13:8).

Although the book contains remarks by revered rabbis here and there, it is primarily a straightforward account of God's deliverance of His people Israel from bondage in Egypt, interspersed with wonderful psalms, and other Biblical passages-many of which reference God's salvation (Yeshu'ah) and coming Messiah.

At the heart of this "telling" as it has come down to our day is an addition called Afikomen.It comes from a Greek word, meaning literally "that which comes after" or even "the one who came". At the beginning of the seder three pieces of matzo are placed into a three-fold pocket-but the piece going into the middle compartment is first broken.Part of this broken piece of unleavened bread is placed in the middle pocket; the other piece, the Afikomen, is hidden. 

At the end of the seder children will seek the Afikomen.and the one who finds it will be given a redemption-price reward. Then all the participants eat a portion of the Afikomen for dessert.Modern-day matzo is unleavened, pierced and striped from the heat in baking.According to the Mishna, the Afikomen is a substitute for the "Korban Pesach"-the Passover Sacrifice, which was the last thing eaten at seders during the First and Second Temple periods.Yet there is a veil over the hearts of this people, and there is much deep truth in the traditions which they still do not see. 

PLEASE PRAY:
*For Light to shine over seder tables around the world, to reveal the Truth of the "Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world"-who was bruised and pierced, cut off from mankind and hidden in the earth-the Lamb of God who atones for and takes away the sin of humankind. Who may be found by all who seek, and whose finding brings Life, and Nourishment and Joy!
*For God's protection over Israel during this holy week when children are out of school and many families are out and about enjoying the holidays.